WASHINGTON – New York suffered a blow to its hopes of getting a bigger share of federal counterterrorism funds yesterday when Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), a powerful regional advocate, bolted the Senate Homeland Security Committee.

“The committee now is stacked against large states that actually are under threat,” said a Senate Democratic aide.

“You’re hosed,” said another Capitol Democrat, referring to New York.

Lautenberg, who clashed with rural and small-state senators who dominate the panel and promoted threat-based funds, gave up the seat under a committee shuffle brought on by the Democrats’ stunning Senate takeover.

He opted instead for a seat on the powerful Appropriations Committee, a position that could help the region in other ways.

Democrats got to name two new members because of their 51-49 majority.

Low-population states including Alaska, Hawaii, Utah and Delaware all are represented on the key panel.

New York shouldn’t expect much help from the committee’s new chairman, Sen. Joe Lieberman, who will replace Sen. Sue Collins (R-Maine) as head of the panel.

As a Democrat on the committee, the Connecticut Democrat often sided with Collins in doling out money to small states rather than prime terror targets like New York.

“Lieberman and Collins are both inclined to treat homeland money like pork and give it out regardless of the risk communities face,” said the Senate aide.

Even worse for the Big Apple, Lautenberg was replaced on the committee by Jon Tester. The freshman senator-to-be represents the remote state of Montana, which capitalizes on funding formulas that favor low-population states.

The House and Senate were unable to agree on a homeland security authorization bill this year. New York and other high-profile states argue they get hurt by congressional provisions that guarantee a minimum amount of funds for each state, even though funds are now allocated on criteria better pegged to threats.

During last week’s elections, New York suffered another security blow when Rep. Peter King (R-L.I.) had to hand over the gavel to the House Homeland Security Committee because of the Democratic rout.

“It would be better for New York if I were chairman, but I’m not, so that’s that,” King said.

King used his post to try to squeeze more homeland funds out of Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff after the department announced a shocking 40 percent cut in the city’s anti-terror funds this spring.

The House has passed legislation several times to make first-responder grants more risk-based, but the bill has always stalled in the Senate, where rural senators have tremendous clout.

This year, New York got $184 million, or $9.68 per state resident. New Jersey, with a population of under 9 million, got $5.96 per person. But Montana, with a population of only 936,000, and facing a far smaller terror threat, got $8.45 per person.

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Yokels bite Apple

Congress oversaw the appropriation of $1.7 billion in 2006 Homeland Security Funds, with grants to states including: